Reconciliation needed to curb new clashes<\/p>\n
Five years ago, the bloody May riots erupted nationwide and
\nclaimed almost 1,200 fatalities following the shootings of four
\nTrisakti University students at their campus in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The incident triggered the public's anger and led to the
\ndownfall of the 32-year-long authoritarian regime of then
\nPresident Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Catholic priest, Ignatius Sandyawan Sumardi, invited all
\npeople to erect monitoring posts to provide information, relief
\nand advocacy for the riot victims. Relying on voluntary
\nmembership from many people, his Team of Volunteers for Humanity
\nmanaged to obtain data which depicted the magnitude of the bloody
\nincidents.<\/p>\n
The group brought up a shocking report that the riots --
\nparticularly the hatred expressed toward Chinese-Indonesians --
\nwere pre-arranged, well-organized, systematic and allegedly by-
\ndesign.<\/p>\n
Data from the group said 1,190 people died after being trapped
\nand burned during fires and 27 died of gunshot wounds. Thirty-one
\npeople are still missing and 91 were injured. In addition, 168
\nwomen and children were raped or sexually assaulted during the
\nunrest, 20 of whom died or committed suicide.<\/p>\n
It has been five years since that turbulent time, but the
\ntragedy remains unsolved even now. Not a single person has been
\ntaken to court for all the bloodshed. Nobody has been blamed,
\nincluding those who were supposed to be responsible for upholding
\nthe country's security at that time.<\/p>\n
Worse still, the circle of violence continues. People also
\nbegin to forget the price we had to pay to topple the
\nauthoritarian regime and replace it with a more democratic
\nregime.<\/p>\n
Sandyawan, the 1997 winner of the prestigious human rights
\naward Yap Thiam Hien, talked to The Jakarta Post's Damar Harsanto
\nrecently about the May riot victims and what the people and the
\ngovernment must do to stop the circle of violence in the country.<\/p>\n
Question: Five years on how do you see the fate of the May
\nriots case?<\/p>\n
Answer: Well, sorry to say there is no substantial improvement
\nin our society's system.<\/p>\n
Let me start with the May riots. It's crystal clear that it
\nwas a tragedy of violence in politics. It's also clear in our
\nreport earlier that the riots were well-planned, systematic and
\naffecting areas nationwide claiming more than 1,200 fatalities.
\nNo doubt, the riots were a crime against humanity.<\/p>\n
We found that the riots resulted from heightened conflicts
\nbetween sources of economics and business, sources of politics
\nincluding military and even religious groups. Every source wants
\nto maintain power. But, of course, the cause of the violence
\noutbreak was never singular. Many corroborating factors took part
\nto create the situation which led to the riots.<\/p>\n
After five years, we see there has been a systematic and well-
\norganized process to erase the people's memory over the bloody
\nincident by continuously negating all facts.<\/p>\n
For example, (Jakarta) Governor Sutiyoso wants to erect the
\nso-called \"reconciliation monument\" in Glodok, West Jakarta. It
\nwas one of the most severely affected areas during the anti-
\nChinese riots which were tainted by rapes and lootings by
\nunidentified masses. (Sutiyoso was the Jakarta Military Commander
\nwhen the riots erupted).<\/p>\n
It's a clear effort to cover up real facts that the riots was
\nnot merely horizontal conflicts but in fact resulting from the
\nconflicts between elite groups which systematically manipulate
\nthe poor condition of the society.<\/p>\n
Look what we have now. All human rights perpetrators in the
\nMay tragedy, also in other incidents like in East Timor for
\ninstance, still roam freely and untouched. But the process of
\nfooling the people advances more rapidly than the learning
\nprocess of the public awareness.<\/p>\n
Q: The May tragedy led to the downfall of then President Soeharto
\nand marked the new era of reform. What are the positive outcomes
\nin your opinion so far?<\/p>\n
A: By the end of B.J. Habibie's tenure (who replaced Soeharto),
\npeople have been enjoying enormous freedom to organize themselves
\nand express their feelings and opinions.<\/p>\n
We have witnessed many movements that have been established,
\nincluding non-governmental organizations which address a wide
\nrange of issues in the society. On the other hand, the victims
\nthemselves, have learnt to hold joint efforts to struggle for
\njustice.<\/p>\n
Through the crisis and tragedy, people always learn a new way
\nto build a new system which is not corrupt. They learn to help
\neach other and share memories which strengthens their solidarity
\nand political awareness.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, mob politics and self-centered party politics
\nhave been undermining all positive outcomes in the society. The
\nkinship system blooming during the crises, have been ruined by
\nvested interests from various groups and parties to gain power
\nand win the people's support.<\/p>\n
We can find that after a tragedy, a party will take advantage
\nof the tragedy to launch a campaign and show off their deep
\nconcern of the people's suffering.<\/p>\n
A few months ago, when fire razed hundreds of homes at the
\nCiliwung riverbank in Manggarai, South Jakarta, 12 banners from
\ndifferent parties were erected the next day although they might
\ndonate nothing to the victims.<\/p>\n
Q: You have been helping the May riots victims for a long time.
\nWhat exactly do those people demand?<\/p>\n
A: The victims and their families no longer demand compensation
\nfor them nor rehabilitation for the families' members (who were
\nkilled during the riots) as criminals and looters. They believe
\nthat any restitution and rehabilitation won't bring back their
\nfamily members or heal their psychological trauma.<\/p>\n
What they want is a total renewal of the whole system in the
\nsociety so that such tragedy won't happen in the future and the
\ncircle of violence stops.<\/p>\n
Of course, they still want the culprits or those who were
\nresponsible for the security in the country at that time to admit
\ntheir faults and start the reconciliation process. Then, let the
\nlegal proceedings judge what is the best for them.<\/p>\n
Q: What is your recommendation for the government and the society
\nto take immediate action which is urgent and important to the
\nimprovement of our society?<\/p>\n
A: The long term agenda of creating a more humane society based
\non solidarity, self-help and critical awareness must be a
\npriority for the country's leaders -- whoever is in power.<\/p>\n
The first thing to do is a humanitarian pause in which all
\nparties in the society and the government reflect with a peaceful
\nmind, deep consideration, based on their sound conscience to
\nthink of how to stop the machine of political violence by
\nbreaking up the circle of violence.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, we can learn a similar lesson like the people in
\nRwanda, Latin America, Yugoslavia or countries in the southern
\npart of Africa with their commissions of truth and
\nreconciliation. They managed to gather facts to uncover many
\natrocities occurred in their countries while at the same time
\nheld an intensive interaction between people who become victims
\nand those who have instigated the violence.<\/p>\n
The interaction ended up with reconciliation. Then,
\nreconciliation become the touchstone to build a new system of law
\nsolidly based on universal standards of human rights in politics,
\neconomics and culture.<\/p>\n
Q: What will happen if all those measures are not implemented?<\/p>\n
A: There will be more victims. We have learned lots, let say,
\nfrom the spate of bombings on Christmas in 2000 to the Bali
\nbombings which carried along devastating social and economic
\nimpacts to the country as well the people.<\/p>\n
I'm just wondering how short the memory of our top officials
\nare, as they could easily revise their statements, and shift
\nblame for those responsible in the bombings to different groups
\nthey dislike like the Free Aceh Movement, Islamic militants or
\nJamaah Islamiyah, while always covering up the fact that many
\nsecurity officers might have played a role in the bombings.<\/p>\n
The circle of violence must be stopped, otherwise there will
\nbe more victims. And, the craziest thing is people will get used
\nto witnessing lots of violence. We will witness our society in
\ntotal collapse.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reconciliation-needed-to-curb-new-clashes-1447893297",
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